


Fates and Fortunes

by zenkitty555



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Best Friends, Families of Choice, Fate, Fortune Telling, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Holidays, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Post-Doctor Strange (2016), Stag Nights & Bachelor Parties, Suspicions, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 01:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19802347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenkitty555/pseuds/zenkitty555
Summary: While celebrating Karl Mordo’s upcoming marriage, Wong and his friends stumble upon a fortune teller’s shop in the West Village and find their fates changed forever. (Non-magic AU)





	Fates and Fortunes

**Author's Note:**

> It seems like I've got enough time to write a fic per month, so I've been having some fun playing in the DS sandbox as per usual. Hope you all enjoy.

"Master of the Mystic Arts- Stephen Strange: Readings on love and life," Karl read slowly.

Wong watched his highly inebriated friend try to focus on the small print at the bottom. Even Wong, who only had a few drinks, had trouble focusing on it. It said something about no refunds or guarantees, and he assumed it was intentionally illegible; worse than a doctor's hand writings in his mind.

"We should go. It'll be fun," Tina chimed in, "Plus, don't you want to know about your future?"

Karl laughed at her question, clearly partially amused with a note of surprise in his voice. Wong could tell with how his laugh had that little sputter that peppered its rhythm. It caused him to smirk at the jolly tone, glad his friend was enjoying his stag party.

"I know my future," Karl said slowly, clearly trying to keep himself together, "But I want to know _your_ future."

Daniel finally caught up with them at that moment after having lagged behind them; he had to find a toilet earlier and caused them to stop in front of the shop in the first place. Wong had no interest in going in, but it seemed that Tina and Karl had already decided for them.

Had they not been in the West Village, the hours the 'mystic' kept would have been odd, but Wong knew this was probably the best hours to earn some cash with all the drunk people about. Students, professionals, tourists, and everyone else it seemed were looking to unwind on such a nice, warm Friday evening. There was something in the air and the city finally seemed to be shedding off its winter chill.

Before Wong knew it, he was being dragged into the shop -a little hole in the ground located in the basement of the building. Tina had a difficult time navigating the stairs, so Daniel helped her out. Her besotted expression as he did so made Wong feel awkward, knowing that the feelings were not and would never be reciprocated. As he looked forward and beyond the scene in front of him, he noticed the door was open, and that Karl was already inside. For someone who didn't need his fortune read, it seemed odd how quickly he let himself in.

Wong sighed, dreading going in. It had been ages since he had seen something like this. His grandmother had been fond of those who practiced fortune telling. However, those places were normally quite old with quite plain people behind a small table or sitting upon the floor of a minimally decorated room. This place looked like it came out of something from the 1970s. The velveteen curtains that decorated the walls were not the only eyesore in the room. Brightly painted antique furniture sat off to the side in the parlour room of a place that was only a little bit bigger than the falafel shop down the street. There was barely room to move, but a few others had managed to squeeze themselves in before their own group had entered. Despite the cramped space and ugly decor, Wong found himself thankful they did stop. Tina and Karl had a hard time holding their liquor, and every single person in the last bar seemed to be buying the two of them drinks for different reasons. He was also thankful neither one of them had ended up dancing on a table like the last time they all decided to celebrate something big, although it was not for the lack of trying.

Wong was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a voice call to them, “enter two at a time, please.”

Tina and Daniel would go first. Although they had not discussed it, it was well established that Karl did almost everything with Wong. That was when Karl wasn’t hanging off of Kaecilius’ arm.

After a few minutes, Wong felt a head upon his shoulder as Karl was coming back around to his sleepy phase of being drunk. For a moment, Wong hoped Karl would forget about it and tell them they need to go, but there was no such luck as Tina and Daniel came out of the door, talking in hushed voices with one another about what they had just heard. Karl grabbed Wong’s hand upon waking, dragging him into the room -a space more garish than the last. The man behind the desk matched the interior, with his red cloak and blue, high necked jacket. Wong couldn’t help but roll his eyes as they both sat down in front of the fortune teller.

His first impression was the so-called mystic was stealy, hard to read, and maybe even bored. It was most likely an act. Western fortune tellers had a flair for the dramatic, something he couldn’t stand. It was bad enough the customers often were of a dramatic nature themselves, let alone the reader.

Wong was completely unimpressed, but didn’t stop Karl from chatting about what kind of things he wanted to know. It was not his place to ruin the soon to be married man's night. He was about to ruin his life the next weekend, so Wong would let him have this little piece of happiness before the storm swooped down upon him.

The best way to get through it was to zone out for a bit, looking at the pictures and the certificates on the wall behind the fortune teller. They were all from what Wong assumed to be online or weekend programs run by a bunch of scam artists, except for an odd one in the corner. It was a medical degree from Columbia. Wong assumed it was a fake. Why would such a thing be hanging on the wall otherwise? However, it didn’t make much sense for it to be a medical degree. He tried to focus on the small print, and managed to make out a word beginning with ‘Neuro’, causing him to close his eyes in response to the absurdity of it all. This guy took the act to new lengths.

When his attention did return to the scene in front of him, it was due to the fact that Karl had squeezed his leg absentmindedly. It was an odd reaction, given they rarely even hugged.

“-unlucky. The cards tell me that it’s short term rather than long term, so it’s advisable not to jump into any relationships in the very near future.”

Wong laughed when he heard that, until he saw his friend sitting there trying to hold himself back. He wasn’t sure if Karl was trying to beat back tears or keep from yelling at the man, who was now looking at Wong due to his outburst.

“It’s not real,” Wong scoffed, “they’re just pieces of thin cardboard. We are all in charge of our own destiny.”

“Maybe so to some degree, but don’t count out the ways of the universe.”

Strange looked at him with a sharp gaze, which caused Wong to do the same back.

“Why don’t you get your fortune read?” Karl prompted, an upset note in his voice.

Wong sighed, “Fine, if it will put your mind at ease.”

“Very well,” Strange replied.

He laid out the cards, turning them while Wong watched. He wasn’t familiar with Tarot. The fortune tellers he had seen before with his grandmother used things like numerology or face reading. Occasionally, one would do some palm reading, but nothing like this.

He listened as Strange told him his future, which sounded like a bunch of nothing to him. The only thing he remarked of interest was that there would be an emotional upheaval in his life. This was nothing shocking, as he was used to such events. It was life after all.

When they got up, Wong gave the man some money with a tip, but nothing too generous after upsetting Karl. He was ready to walk out the door when Strange stopped him and only him. The others were already leaving.

“I didn’t mean to upset your -” there was a pause, “friend. Be sure to take care of him. He’ll have a lot of ups and downs.”

“You’re pretty terrible at this,” Wong remarked.

Strange shrugged as he let Wong go join Karl and the others outside. In the back of his mind though, he knew that the mystic wasn’t completely wrong. He was going to need to take care of Karl.

.oOo.

Wong knew the next week when Kaecilius didn’t show to the wedding that things were going to get messy. Although he had predicted Kaecilius would be a shitty husband, he was surprised to see that Kaecilius didn’t even get to the point of being a husband in the first place. Wong couldn’t help but wonder if doing a runner was due to Kaecilius’ hang ups about his dead family, or if it was just his apathy to Karl’s feelings. Whatever it was, Wong knew it wasn’t cold feet, and the man was probably already out of the city, if not the country by the time they found out.

Of course, Karl took it as hard as anyone would, and Wong had to help pick up the pieces. During the next few days it was anger, tears, sadness over all the ice cream a person could want. Then they both headed off to have a vacation that had formerly been designated as a honeymoon. They had been lucky someone at customer services had taken pity on them and let them change the name on Kaecilius’ ticket for a low fee.

For the first time in his life, Wong had taken emergency leave at his job, and thankfully, no one questioned it. But his time sipping drinks by the pool in the Caribbean went by faster than the wedding itself, and they once again found themselves in New York. Real life took over as soon as they landed, and he found himself almost regretting his vacation. Work piled up, and Wong seemed to have trouble going through it all, leading him not to touch base with his jilted friend for a few days. It worried him for a bit after he regained some control over the mess that was his life, and he decided that he would pop over to Karl's place on the weekend.

Wong left in a serene mood when he set out that morning. He knew it would still be difficult for Karl to mend his heart, but at least it was the weekend and the weather was nice enough for some strolling as it was not too hot, nor too cold. Wong was already making plans in his head as he rang the bell to Karl's apartment. However, his plans had not included being buzzed up to find that Karl already had a guest.

"We must have ran late. Sorry about that," Karl apologized as he was let in.

As he came out of the entrance hallway, he spied the fake mystic sitting there at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee in front of him. It surprised and puzzled him. It was not yet noon, but this man was there in Karl's kitchen. Wong dreaded to find out the reason for it, as he knew there were two possibilities: they had slept together or Strange was sucking money out of him. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know which one he hoped it would be. Neither of them were very healthy in his opinion; not that Karl would ask for it.

"Strange," He said curtly.

"I guess this is my cue to get going. It was lovely and thank you for the coffee."

"Don't be ridiculous. Feel free to stay. It's not like we have anywhere to go," Karl said, turning to Wong at the end of his statement.

Wong frowned. Karl sounded jovial and had that spark in his eye that Wong knew all too well. Whatever he was doing, it was going to be a foolhardy mistake, if it wasn't already one.

"No, I need to go anyways and open up shop for the afternoon. There's a summer session orientation going on this weekend at the colleges nearby and a few street festivals going on."

Strange slinked off of the stool he sat upon, looking sheepish as he did so. Wong stared at him long enough to be uncomfortable, but not hard enough to be intimidating. Karl accompanied his 'guest' to the door, showing him out before returning. As he did so his hand lingered over the small table stationed at the end of the entrance way, his expression soft and one filled with daydreams. Given how the last time they met Karl seemed to have dark clouds over his head, Wong was worried over this new revelation. This was not like the man to recover from a broken heart so quickly.

Wong sat down upon the same stool Strange had been sitting in before.

“The fortune teller?” Wong asked.

“Yes. His talents have been putting my mind at ease. Besides, he’s a fine fellow once you get past the whole act from before,” Karl told him with a wave of his hand.

It sounded like it was no big deal, but Wong knew that he was covering for the fact that Karl didn’t want to discuss any of it. Only Wong did want to discuss it, lecture him on throwing away his money, his feelings, or both. It was a frustrating experience being Karl Mordo’s friend sometimes, because he cared too much to see him get hurt again and again. To potentially put himself in such a position so soon after Kaecilius seemed nearly unfathomable to Wong, yet here they were.

Wong sighed, deciding it was best to let it slide for the moment. He knew though that they would return to this again another day, just not this day or maybe even this week. Unfortunately, Karl was just as stubborn as Wong was, and Wong knew that he’d continue to see this pseudo mystic.

.oOo.

"Stephen? So, now you're on a first name basis with him?"

"Yes. I don't understand what it means to you though."

If felt like shots were fired, and rather unexpectedly as they were taking a leisurely stroll in Washington Square Park. Now Wong knew why Karl insisted in meeting him in that area; he had come from an 'appointment', if that is what it truly was.

"I've seen men like him before and all they want is to separate you from your money. Tie yourself to him and it will be worse than Kaecilius in many ways."

Karl stopped in his tracks, dropping the ice cream in his hand before he clenched his fist together. His jaw became rigid and Wong knew he had overstepped boundaries. This he couldn’t let go. After all they had been through in the last few weeks, he couldn’t sit by and watch Karl throw away what he had upon someone so unworthy. Before he would just let the man make his own mistakes, but at this point it felt as though he too was becoming chained emotionally to Karl’s decisions.

“I would prefer it if you don’t assume to understand my business with others when I’ve clearly not shared it with you.”

His voice was low with a dangerous edge to it that Wong hadn’t heard in years. The situation seemed to get messier and messier by the second, causing Wong to take a deep breath. He considered the idea that they may need to call it a day then and there. However, it was too late as Karl already was walking away, leaving Wong stunned.

Slowly, his mood started to sour as he watched Karl walk out of the park and turn towards the subway. He hadn’t said a word about Kaecilius in ages, and although he knew Karl wasn’t exactly passed it, he had figured it wouldn’t be such a sensitive and taboo topic at that point. At times it felt impossible to navigate such emotions. He truly cared for his friend, but they clearly had different ideas on how to be friends.

Wong sighed, understanding there was nothing he could do at that point. Rubbing at his face in frustration, he took a second to compose himself before deciding that he needed to walk it off. Where he would go and what he would do was yet to be decided, but he knew he couldn’t go home to sit in silence. While he was walking around the park, he suddenly had an urge to venture out and over to the west side of the city with one destination in mind: Bleecker Street.

Getting there was fairly easy, but taking the next step was harder. He knew he was running off of emotions, yet he had to get it out. With conviction, he walked down the steps to the small store he had visited those many weeks ago. Nothing had changed since his first visit except for the amount of customers. There was no one in the waiting room, and Strange sat there looking down at a tablet, occasionally pressing the screen with a shaky finger. He looked up after a few moments, going wide eyed for a brief second before standing up. Although he didn't seem nervous, Wong could tell Strange was not pleased to see him, as if he knew this was coming. Maybe it was destiny; he wouldn’t rule it out.

Sitting down unceremoniously, Wong stared at Strange for a while.

“Did you come for a reading?”

“No, but you know that, don’t you?”

Strange just looked at him, unamused, but not reactionary to Wong's statement. Most likely, the man wanted Wong gone as soon as possible, but he wasn't going to push in case he set Wong off. He clearly had experience with these kinds of situations.

"Stop taking Karl Mordo's money. You're praying on someone who's vulnerable."

Strange tilted his head to the side, but remained expressionless for a few moments. Then, he slowly tilted his head back to its original position before his mouth thinned.

"Look, I'm not tricking, scamming, or taking advantage of anyone. He's got free will, and I don't need to stop him. It's not a gambling or shopping addiction, and he feels better after. Frankly, I know you don't like me, but you can't stop me from doing my business."

"Is that a challenge?" Wong countered.

"No, I'm just trying to get by, that's all. I've gotta eat and make rent. If it bothers you that much, just talk to Karl."

Wong found the tension in his chest releasing, his anger slowly dissipating after hearing Strange's statement. He was mostly frustrated with how much energy he had put into making sure his friend was okay when clearly his friend had turned to someone else to help him get through his hard times.

It wasn't that he was jealous. The feeling inside of him was as if he had ingested something bad, upsetting his stomach, and he just needed it to pass out of his system. In that moment, he knew that the best way to get past it was to let it go, giving them both some space for a while. If he didn’t do it, it would drive them apart. He may not like it, but it was for the best.

He left the shop with a little more understanding than when he came there, but he also left with a greater sense of disappointment about the whole situation.

.oOo.

Karl and him didn’t speak for quite some time, but then out of the blue Karl phoned him up one morning, asking if Wong wanted to help him train for the New York City Marathon as he had years before. It seemed as though he needed some help, and there was a lightness to his voice that Wong had not heard in months, so he warily agreed to it. It wasn’t a fun task to get up at the crack of dawn on the weekends during the summer months, but it had been rewarding the first time, creating a bond there that he hadn’t been able to shake since. At that time there had been a lot of sweat and tears on Karl’s end, and a lot of hard lined barking of orders on Wong’s end. Repeating that would either help them heal or break them. Whichever it was, it would give them both a peace of mind that they hadn’t had since that day in Washington Square Park.

The first few times they met in Central Park and things went well. After training, they would grab a bite to eat outside before going their separate ways. Things were getting back to normal, and Karl seemed a lot better than before. It puzzled Wong. Doubts starting to creep into his mind, like what if he hadn’t been needed all along? He quickly tried to squash those terrible thoughts with the reassurance that Karl had called him and not the other way around.

Even though they didn’t speak of the event, they were acutely aware of what had taken place. Gradually the fear of the topic being brought up faded, until one day after they had been training Karl invited him over to his place for some food and coffee. Both of them felt good about Karl’s progress, a much easier time than their first experience with it. It was like old times.

Only this time when they went back to Karl’s house, Karl opened the door to reveal Strange in a bathrobe standing over the kitchen island reading something. It startled Wong. Clearly, Strange felt quite at home in Karl’s home. Had he know the fortune teller would be there, he wouldn’t have come at all. It wasn’t that he hated Strange anymore, but there was resentment that Strange had come between him in Karl. He now had to accept that Karl had chosen this man, someone he didn’t think would be great for Karl.

It was round two of putting up with Karl's bad taste in men.

Strange looked up as Karl passed him to go take a shower, telling the other man as much. Wong decided to avoid him all together, sitting in the adjacent living room, putting in his ear phones in to relax a bit. He was thankfully unbothered until Karl came out and went back towards the refrigerator to start cooking some brunch. Wong was able to hear him calling out if ‘Stephen’ would like some as well. The answer was muffled by the music that still played in Wong’s ears.

When he went to join Karl, he saw Strange was still there, but dressed now and clearly planning on eating with them. It was then he made up his mind to not bring any of it up and both of them would behave themselves. The next time, he would just pass on the invitation to avoid this awkward situation again.

In the meantime, Karl continued to make conversation, trying to keep things light despite the tension in the room. It didn’t really work to dispel the tension, but they weren’t going to touch on the reason no matter what. They were not those kinds of people.

Not talking about it went really well until Karl left the room to take a phone call. Strange couldn’t help but turn to Wong.

“It’d be much easier if you just told him.”

Wong turned his head towards Stephen, unsure what exactly what he was supposed to tell Karl. Was he supposed to tell Karl to stop dating such people? He didn’t think Strange was as bad as Kaecilius, clearly there was some care for Karl there. Although his morality might have been questionable, he wasn't outright indifferent to other's feelings. In the last half hour or so he even found Strange tolerable now that they had a conversation, albeit a forced one.

“He clearly enjoys your company, I won’t drive my friend away because he makes mistakes in love.”

“What? No. We’re not together. I’m just staying here because sleeping in my place of business is technically illegal in the zoning district I’m in. He’s all yours.”

“I’m not in love with him.”

“Yea, okay.”

Wong glared at him, “He’s the only family I have anymore. Maybe you can’t understand platonic relationships, but they do exist.”

There was a little bit of pink creeping into Strange's cheeks, and he looked surprised by the revelation. 

“Well, I’m not after him either, or his money, whatever you may think.”

“Yet, you’re living here.”

“Temporarily. I got kicked out of my last place, and as you know Karl has a good heart.”

Although there was more they would like to say, they quieted when Karl re-entered. He still seemed quite happy and unaware of the exchange that had just taken place.

They weren’t going to take it further in front of Karl, even if it had ended as abruptly as it started. Wong felt a little chastised for jumping to conclusions, but they weren’t entirely untrue. Strange was mooching off of Karl to a degree, but clearly he was in dire need of some financial stability while Karl had been looking for some emotional stability. If the two of them found some mutual benefit, he guessed it was wrong of him to say otherwise.

Wong decided he'd eventually have to apologize to Karl. It seemed that things between Strange and him would now be understood. However, he would not be offering up an apology to Strange, nor would he expect one from Strange.

As he put it from his mind, the three went about finishing their brunch without further issues.

.oOo.

The Monday after the race they made plans to meet at their group’s regular drinking hole, ‘The Bar with No Doors’, to have a congratulatory drink with Karl. Wong wasn’t quite sure why Karl picked Monday instead of the next Friday, but he wasn't going to be picky about it. It was good to wind down after work.

When he arrived, he saw Tina sitting at their regular table, but unlike all the times before Stephen Strange was with her. Both were buttoned up for the cold weather in pea coats. The bar had very little heating as per usual, just enough so one would be able to wear only a sweater only after having a drink. Coming in off the street though it was still best to wear one’s coat for a while.

Wong took his seat next to Tina, where they were awkwardly sitting in silence. Stephen smiled slightly at him, as they had now come to a point where they were cordial when they saw one another. After the day they hashed things out at brunch, it didn’t bother him Stephen was in Karl’s life, but it did puzzle him now as to why Stephen was in their group without Karl mentioning it beforehand.

After acknowledging Stephen’s existence with a slight nod of his head, Wong turned to Tina and asked, "Where's Karl?"

She shrugged in response. It was odd that Karl was late, as he was almost never late, but it made sense that Daniel was late, as his place of work was further uptown than the others.

“I’m going to get something, do you want anything?”

“The usual.”

Wong got up and headed to the bar to place their order. The bartender didn’t even need to hear all of it to fill it; it was always 'the usual' for all of them. However, what was unusual was Stephen following him up to the bar despite having a full drink already at his table. He came and slid up beside Wong, leaning against the sticky wooden bar in front of both of them. He turned before speaking.

“I hope we’re good now.”

Wong shrugged in response. It wasn’t like he could stop the man, and he no longer had a strong opinion on him.

“I’ve moved out. Got one of those new shared apartment schemes in Alphabet City,” Stephen continued.

“Good to hear.”

Inside he was concerned though, as that was his neighborhood and he knew exactly the building Stephen most likely moved into. Part of him was still wary about Stephen, even if they were okay with one another at this point and time.

After ordering his drink, Stephen stayed where he was, clearly wanting to say something else, but not quite able to get it out. Wong wouldn’t give him the chance as he took Tina and his drink and went back to his seat. Stephen followed after he had received his own, a blank expression on his face.

The three of them made some light chatter about possible snowfall later on until Karl and Daniel walked in. Immediately, Wong could tell there was something different, but couldn’t place his finger on what it was exactly. There was a bounce to Karl’s step, yet it had been that way the day after the marathon as well. Daniel seemed the same as ever, calm and composed, with a bit of a contented look playing in his expression.

Daniel greeted them all, and it seemed that Daniel knew Stephen already beyond that first night at Stephen's shop.It didn’t surprise Wong, as Stephem had lived with Karl for a bit of time; he must have met them all before.

After a few minutes they all got themselves sorted with drinks for everyone and some bar snacks to share. Nothing cooked was ever ordered given the state of the place. Karl sat between Daniel and Stephen, his fingers lightly drumming on his glass with the nervous energy he often had when he was hesitant about something. The clues were not adding up to the bigger picture, but Wong figured the truth would out itself soon enough.

He was only half listening by the point in the conversation where Karl announced that he and Daniel were seeing one another. The slow reaction from himself and Tina must have told Karl that it was unexpected, but it seemed that Stephen already knew. If Wong had to make a guess, it probably prompted Stephen’s recent change in residence.

They would be good together, however Tina appeared down about the news, even if she hid it well. It was to be expected, having a crush on someone who would never return her affections. Her heart would mend soon enough, as she rarely stuck on one individual for long. Still, she was happy for them as anyone who knew both of them would be. For once Karl had made a good choice in his partner.

Not much was said on the topic past the first congratulations. Instead their talk turned to current events and what was going on with them in their professional lives. All of them added to the conversation readily, except for Stephen, who seemed out of his element in their group for some reason. Wong couldn’t help but notice how much more awkward he was than when he was the center of attention like when he was doing a reading. Wong was pretty sure that didn't stick out to the others, as he was mostly quiet and looked like he was enjoying himself in their company.

Between Karl and Tina the conversation stretched on well past the time they normally would say goodbye. Not to be rude, but eventually Wong had to say something; as they had been talking, the snow started to fall and pile up outside. If they did not get going, it would be an irritating walk home, not to mention the next morning’s wake up call would be more difficult than it already was.

Karl and Daniel left to go uptown first, leaving the three others behind. It was only then that Wong noticed how much Tina did have to drink. In order to keep her spirits up, she must have kept them coming and was a bit wobbly on her feet. He knew this would not do, and offered to walk home with her, planning it so that it would also give him enough time between Stephen and him going home. He would like to avoid taking the same route home, if at all possible.

“S’Okay! I’m great!” She protested before stumbling.

“No, we’ll walk together.”

“But-”

Wong gave her his best glare, putting down his foot figuratively.

“I’ll come, too. It’s good to have company,” Stephen remarked.

Wong couldn’t stop him without good reason, and they soon set off on the snow covered sidewalk. The big, fluffy flakes kept coming at a steady pace, increasing with every block they walked. The forecast had said it would start the next night, but there they were battling the elements.

Tina with one of her arms around Wong’s shoulder was busy chatting away to Stephen as Wong helped navigate them to her apartment, not too far in the No-Ho area. It wasn’t too hard at first, but it gradually the snow started to pile up, causing them to tread with some caution and slowing their progress.

Eventually they managed to get her home, leaving both of them outside of the apartment. Stephen turned to Wong, waiting for Wong to say something. It was at that point Wong realized that Karl must have told Stephen that he lived within the same vicinity as Wong. Wong sighed and motioned for them to continue a nearby bus stop. The good thing about New York was that things never shut down for a little snow, even if they ran at a snail’s pace.

They both stayed pretty quiet until they got on the bus. Something in the air felt like it was best to just enjoy the relatively silent scene on their way there. It was a welcomed change from their walk to Tina’s. They stuck together when they got inside, and it was then that Stephen decided he had enough of silence.

“It was a good night.”

“It was.”

“Look, I know you don’t care for me much, so if this is going to be a problem-”

Wong cut him off, “No. It’s not. I’m tired and not quite sure what to say, that’s all.”

“So you don’t mind?”

“If I minded, I would have left halfway through. I don’t suffer fools.”

“Yea, I could tell that,” Stephen said half under his breath.

They stayed silent after that as they sat next to one another with enough space between them to be comfortable. Wong decided it was probably better if he did start up a small conversation eventually, but he was tired. Instead, he put his head back listening to the sounds and taking in the motions beneath his feet. It was times like this he felt all his years, wary of the life he had made for himself. A good night’s sleep would fix it, but before then he would allow himself to indulge in his feelings.

After all this time he had little to show for himself. Sure he had a house, a group of friends, and even a little savings, but he wondered if his life could have been different had he tried harder. Thinking about his personal growth compared to others, he felt inadequate. He felt as though he couldn’t feel the extremes of Karl, or have the energy of Tina. He definitely could not be as patient as Daniel, and even Stephen seemed to have a sense of newness about him. Wong could tell he knew the city, most likely a long term transplant like himself, but it had beaten Wong down.

Only when they got off the bus did their silence break, but it was mostly filled with niceties, as much as they could muster at the time. Wong dreaded the morning coming and the commute he would have to make, and he didn’t have the energy to do much more talking. Thankfully, Stephen didn’t press for more.

.oOo.

Holiday parties were the bane of Wong's existence, so it was quite satisfying the day he called in ‘sick’ was the day of the office holiday party. The hard year he was having had shown that he too could lie his way through his sick leave, just like many others had throughout the years. Something clicked inside of him, telling him that life was too short to be wasted, and he had made up his mind to try and make the most of the next year. Even if he was not one for explicit New Year’s resolutions, it was important to make an effort to try to improve oneself.

At the start of the day, he had expected to spend his time on his couch, binging whatever current trendy t.v. show there was on one of his streaming services. He had not expected to run out to the store, but things changed after he opened his fridge to discover it almost bare, forgetting that he planned to live off the party's leftovers until the weekend.

They day was looking to be more of a hassle as he put on his hat, scarf, and coat, and headed out the door. On the way there he passed a few people on the street, but most were at work or staying inside and out of the cold. There were some pluses to doing the shopping on a brutally chilly weekday. What he had not expected was to see Stephen sitting in the front window of the coffee shop he was a regular at, drinking a cup of something. If he had been looking at a laptop or phone like the countless others, Wong could have snuck past without notice, but as they locked eyes, Wong knew he would have to go in and say hello. The warmth would be welcomed, yet he was still hesitant about interacting with the other man.

Things between them had become smoother and friendlier, but it was odd to think of one another as friends. Stephen was now friends with Karl, Daniel, and Tina, yet he and Wong still tiptoed around one another as much as the two could. Both were not very sensitive to cushioning their opinions, even if for the sake of others they tried their best.

When he went inside, Wong thought he'd say a quick hello and pop back out. However, he came to find the smell of the shop's seasonal blend to be tantalizing, calling him to the front register to order a cup. The moment the barista asked him if he wanted it in a mug for the cafe, an environmentally friendly policy recently implemented by the owner, that he felt shamed into staying.

He hesitantly pulled out the seat next to Stephen after he put down the cup in his hand. There was something a bit different about the other man today, more somber and reserved.

“Not working today?” Stephen asked.

“I’m sick. Can’t you tell?”

That earned him a smirk as Stephen dropped his head slightly, as if he didn’t want Wong to see his enjoyment of it. It was an odd reaction.

“Holiday shopping?”

“I don’t celebrate anything,” Wong replied, before adding, “I’m going to buy some groceries, but needed a pick me up.”

Stephen nodded in response.

“Not working today?”

“I never work Mondays. Not enough people. Plus with tomorrow being Christmas Eve, I guess I’m giving myself a break and taking tomorrow off as well.”

It was at that point Wong figured out what was going on with the man's mood. He didn’t know much about Stephen’s backstory, but he could guess he didn’t have a family and was most likely feeling down during this period. He had seen it before with the others in their group, before they all had became a family.

“You’re going to the party tomorrow night, right?” Wong asked.

“Yeah, Karl seems like he’s excited for it.”

“He gets to do the thing he loves, taking care of others, even if it kills him.”

He had seen too many moments where turkeys had become the subject of Karl’s frustrations and rage to be entirely excited about the event. He was glad that Daniel would now be the one to take over the duty of smoothing over whatever this year's turkey’s offenses may be. The thought caused him to smile, realizing how much he was looking forward to the stories from the other side of them.

When Wong looked back over at Stephen from looking out the window, he was surprised by the calm that had replaced the sadness. There was a sleepy quality to his face. His eyes looked more tired than they were before, but they were now combined with a serene expression.

“He seems to be good at it. Although, you seem to also take care of him.”

Wong shrugged as he assumed anyone would do the same for such a friend. In the future, he may even do such a thing for Stephen; he was warming up to him. There was something nice about Stephen once he dropped the facade he had when Wong first met him. Even this little chat they were having felt as comfortable as he was with the rest in the group, only there was a slight undertone that scared Wong. There were feelings that crept up on him through their repeated interactions, except he couldn’t quite put his finger on what they were aside from the fact that they were positive.

“Maybe we can go together tomorrow?” Stephen asked quietly.

“If you want.”

It seemed odd that Stephen would hesitantly bring up the subject. They both lived in a similar area and were going to the same place; it would make sense to do so.

He watched as Stephen took a sip of his coffee, most likely cold or lukewarm from how he practically gulped it. The expression on his face changed to one that reminded Wong of a cat that had gotten into the cream. In response, Wong had a sip of his own, albeit a smaller one, and looked outside the window again. It was rather quite pretty when it was quiet, and he couldn’t help but feel at ease, glad he had stopped at the shop. There were very few times he could stop and indulge in the scenery around him.

The next time he looked back, he noticed Stephen looking at him with his cup gone. Wong was unsure when Stephen finished his cup, but he had stayed there next to Wong until Wong finished his. When he stood up to go, Stephen looked at him.

“You wouldn’t mind if I accompany you, would you? I told Karl I’d bring something to the party. Maybe you can help me pick it out?”

“Not going to stop you.”

As they left the shop, Wong realized that he really didn’t mind the company after all. It was another good twist to the day. What had started off as a planned day filled with mindless t.v. watching had turned into something else, something better. It struck him how funny that he could still find some joy in the unexpected. He didn’t even mind the small talk, something he normally found tedious with most others. If he had gone to that holiday party, he was sure that he would have felt bored out of his mind hearing about Jennifer’s children one more time.

Instead he talked with Stephen about likes, dislikes, thoughts on traditions, and the evolution of the city in general. They bounced around to topics he never would have thought they would touch on in a million years. Most of all he found it refreshing. It was rare to feel that way these days.

By the time they parted, Wong knew things had changed a great deal, and he was looking forward to the party the next day. He wanted to see Stephen again, more so than he could have ever predicted. Slowly, knots started to form in his stomach while reviewing his thoughts. There was that slight drum of nerves tickling the back of his head as he thought about the next day. When he started pulling out the next day’s clothes with a slight worry, he knew things had completely changed over the span of hours. He hoped Stephen may feel the same.

Wong didn’t have to wait long to see. When they met at the subway entrance the next day, there were little things he noticed that gave him hope. Although he tried to squash that arrogant voice in him telling him that it was a certainty Stephen felt similar, there was no mistaking that spring in Stephen’s step or the brightness in his expression he wore. A smirk played on the other man’s face as he held his prize find of some imported cheese from yesterday’s shopping trip, something that would go well with the wine that Wong picked out.

He had to look away for a moment to make sure the flustered feeling in his heart had not transferred to his face. He even worried over how their appearance together may look to strangers. It had been a long time since he had not only looked like this with someone else, but felt like this as well.

Stephen touched Wong’s arm lightly with his garish, mustard-colored winter gloves coming over the blue coat he had.

“You look ridiculous,” Wong half-heartedly grumbled.

“Didn’t want to disappoint.” Stephen teased back, “needed something for you to be critical about after all. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be just another normal day.”

A small smile played on Wong's face as they went down underground. The sounds of the subway engulfed them as they hit the turnstile with one of the trains departing. They would have to wait for the next one, but Wong didn't mind for once. They picked up their conversation from the day before with Wong explaining what to expect for the evening, such as the people that would be there and what exactly Cozonaci was.

When they got to the party they diverged to opposite sides of the room, but Wong found his eyes occasionally wandering towards where Stephen was. Others didn’t notice, too busy with picking at the spread or chatting in groups. He feigned listening to whatever Tina was talking about with one of Stephen’s friends, some ER doctor as he heard when they were introduced. It was clear that he was brought in the conversation for some support as Tina was already making eyes at the friend. Looking at Tina made Wong think that there must have been something in the air this winter with all the romantic ambitions everyone seemed to have had or were having.

As the night progressed though his thoughts started to get the best of him. He wasn’t quite sure what he had felt earlier was the truth, or something that he had just wanted in the fleet of the moment.

The more and more they moved about the room the more he tried to put all of it from his mind, and to some degree of success. When they sat down however, it was harder to get it out of his mind as he sat across from Stephen. Stephen was too deep in conversation with the people next to him to notice Wong looking at him with some frequency. The only consolation was that half way through the dinner Christine was trying to strike up a conversation with him about some benign topic or other. She seemed bright, interested, and a lovely person. It still did not distract him to the degree he had hoped.

Sometime after the traditional pudding, but before the singing of carols, he decided to slip out. He knew he wouldn’t be noticed, at least not right away. He had done as such in years before, and Karl never complained, knowing that it really wasn’t his thing. It made him a bit uncomfortable sitting there listening to others sing about something that he had no emotional attachment to.

What he hadn’t expected was getting stopped about half way back to the subway. For a moment he thought he was going to be assaulted with the rather aggressive bump against his shoulder. Despite the city becoming safer in the years since he had moved there, crime hadn't disappeared and with the current political climate, he wasn't going to take any chances.

He turned around quickly, ready to fight, his hands scrunched up in fists as he had had to do on more than one occasion in his life.

“Woah. Didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to know why did you leave?"

It was Stephen, and he sounded like he might be concerned, or even a little hurt.

Wong relaxed at seeing a familiar face, letting his guard down. There was a small silence as Wong thought of what to say. He wasn’t really worried about the reaction, but he knew he didn’t want to over explain and spill more things out than what was prudent. Oversharing was something he tried to avoid all the time, but something about that night had made him more emotional than normal. In turn, he had to be more guarded and cautious.

“I’m all Christmas-ed out. I’ve dealt with it for more than twenty years of my life now and I need a break.”

A corner of Stephen’s mouth turned up in sympathy.

“You could have at least told me you were going to head back.”

The tension in his chest became stronger with each moment that passed and each word Stephen said. It was uncomfortable and almost made him feel unworthy any of the contented feelings that he had felt earlier that day.

“I didn’t know I needed permission,” The words slipped out before he had thought about how they would be received.

Internally, he beat himself up for the quip. It came out more sardonic than he had intended to answer with, and at that exact moment he just wanted to go home without being confronted with everything inside of his head and heart.

“I was planning to go back with you.”

“I’m pretty sure you can find your way home, at least I would hope at your age.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, easily seen under the lamp light above their heads. He then frowned at Wong, clearly unhappy with his answer. Wong noticed there was a fraction of a second where it looked like Stephen was debating on whether to head back or not, but ultimately he stood his ground looking at Wong.

A huge sigh came from Stephen as he put his hands at his temples.

“You once told me I’m pretty terrible at what I do, but you’re pretty fucking bad at this.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

His heart practically stopped right then and there. His throat tightened and his hands started to sweat.

“You know that day we all met at that bar? When I offered to help take Tina home? I knew you needed some time to come around, but don’t pretend like you haven’t noticed since then that I’m interested in you.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. Whether it was willful ignorance or just him being wrapped up in his own thoughts, he hadn’t really notice how Stephen felt until that day. Defensively, he reminded himself in his head that Stephen also had this natural ability for what looked like flirting that seemed to switch on with others, as he had observed at the party.

“Okay. Guess I’m going back now,” Stephen said with a little less passion than his previous declaration.

The sight of Stephen turning slightly cause Wong to panic inside and he called out, “I am bad at this. I can’t help it. I’m not Tina, or Karl, or even Daniel. You’re not exactly the kind of man who goes for me normally either.”

Stephen was different, someone who did not easily fit into boxes that he had made for society. There were things about him that made Wong second guess everything he ever thought he knew about people.

“Well, it sounds like you judged a book by it’s cover in this case.”

Wong nodded slowly and lightly in agreement, feeling a bit numbed by the conversation and assessment. It looked that Stephen felt the same as they stood in silence on the street, not sure what to say with one another. The occasional passerby glanced at them in curiosity.

“I can’t make grand gestures or romantic overtures, especially out in the open like this, but I would like to get to know you better,” Wong confessed.

“Well don’t close yourself off before it even starts. It’s not like I want any of those things either.”

He hesitated. There had been quite a few occasions with him parting from previous partners due to what they perceived as his cold nature. He couldn’t keep up with anyone who was high maintenance. However, upon review of what he knew about Stephen, maybe he had judged him too wrongly and harshly from the beginning.

“Well are you coming back, or are you going?” Stephen asked impatiently.

It was then he realized that Stephen wasn’t wearing his coat and must have been freezing. Clearly he had left in a rush to catch Wong before he could get to the station.

Wong paused before answering, “I’m not singing, nor am I doing any of those dumb games.”

“There are games?”

The look of worry on Stephen’s face caused Wong to break into a smile, as they both turned to go back. Little did the other man know what was in store for later the evening, and Wong was pretty sure they’d both be going home sooner rather than later.

.oOo.

With the cards laid out on the table, Karl looked up at Stephen as Wong looked at the both of them unimpressed. He often teased Stephen that he should stop fleecing their friend, to which Stephen would glare, telling him that he wasn’t going to undersell his skills.

It was never that Wong was not a believer, but rather he knew that fate was an organic creature that man could not touch or tame. Some may have the skills to be in tune with it occasionally, but he had assumed that Stephen was not one of them. Much like fate and fortunes, he assumed love would be the same and that he lacked in that department. He was glad that he had been proven wrong on both accounts. Life with Stephen Strange was destined to be one made from a little bit of work, a little bit of chance, and some fate all rolled up together.

**Author's Note:**

> Kuddos and comments are much appreciated. ♡
> 
> (Btw: Go check out that second Maleficent 2 trailer if you haven't or even if you already have ;) )


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